While I still recuperate I wanted to slowly get back into the swing of things with this first special newspaper ad from the Chicago Tribune. What’s unique about this particular piece is that the list of guest stars is updated to reflect who would actually be on the show. There are other color versions of…
Month: August 2017
Please Stand By…
Due to a rather severe bout of food poisoning, “The Doug Henning Project” will be on a short hiatus. I’ll be back up again next week. See you soon!
Rare First NBC Special Publicity Photo!
Continuing from yesterday’s First Special publicity item, I thought this rarely seen picture of Doug and Julie Newmar might help to bring us all back to a strange and mystical place called the 1970s! Enjoy.
First Special Cover Story
To brighten up our Monday commute, let’s travel back to 1975 and take a look at a great cover story of Doug promoting the first NBC special! Special thanks to David Sigafus for sending me this. I had been trying to find a good image of the cover picture for a while.
1984 Chrysler Voyager Commercial!
Happy Friday Everyone! Until Monday, enjoy this vintage and wonderfully dated commercial from 1984. Drive safe out there!
David Charvet’s Doug Henning Photo Collection
In addition to giving a great interview, David also provided me with a trove of pictures illustrating the process in setting up the interview with Doug, a gift Doug gave him, and items from Doug’s memorial service in Beverly Hills. All of these really do paint a unique and touching picture of David’s interactions with Doug…
An Interview with David Charvet: Part Three
Doug Henning died a short six months after David’s interview took place. Their friendship, albeit brief, left a large impact on David’s life. As you will read, all of this came to a touching conclusion at Doug’s rarely talked about memorial service. Do you believe he would have returned to magic? I don’t think he was coming back to do…
An Interview with David Charvet: Part Two
Getting to the interview, can you tell me the backstory on how it came to be? It came completely out of the blue. I was sitting at home one day in early August of 1999 and my phone rang, and when I answered I hear, “Hi David? It’s Doug Henning!” (laughs)… It caught me completely…
An Interview with David Charvet: Part One
All this week I will be featuring my recent interview with magician and magic designer David Charvet. David, along with being an esteemed magician, has the distinction of conducting the very last and only full length interview that Doug ever did. The story of how that came to be will be revealed in tomorrow’s post….
New York Times 1976 Toy Store Photo
I recently came across this photo originally published in the “New York Times” on November 27, 1976. In light of “The Muppet Show” clip from yesterday, I thought it was more than appropriate to feature it as I close out the week. It features Doug, at what looks like a toy store (FAO Schwarz?), entertaining children….
The Muppets Take Doug Henning!
While I’ve featured a previous clip of Doug’s 1980 appearance on “The Muppet Show,” you really can’t go wrong with Muppets, Muppets, and more Muppets! This clip, in particular, is notable because it gives us a full performance to marvel over and suggests that maybe The Muppets aren’t always the best magic assistants. For unknown reasons,…
TWA Airlines Commercial!
Even magicians have to get to their next location in a hurry! This amusing TWA Airlines television commercial from 1981 showcases Doug’s image in a very smart and funny way. While it wasn’t his only commercial it is, in my opinion, one of the best. Hey, you even get to see Doug in a suit! So,…
The First NBC Special: Houdini’s Water Torture Cell Conclusion
As we reach the end of this legendary moment in magic history, the seconds are counting down and down. Doug, sealed in, begins the almost impossible job of escaping from a seemingly watery grave. Would he make it out alive? Or would 50 million people watch a man drown on live television? All your questions are…
The First NBC Special: Houdini’s Water Torture Cell
What you are about to see are the introduction and preparations for Doug’s Grand Finale of Houdini’s “Water Torture Cell!” After another brief introduction by Gene Kelly and a Houdini history montage, Doug is introduced to a nervous crowd. The suspense is truly over whelming, and there is definitely a “will he or won’t he” feeling throughout the…
The First NBC Special: The Best Bits!
It’s safe to say that everyone that is reading these entries remembers the first special in their own way. The program itself is so crammed with illusions and expert performances that it’s been difficult to decide what to include and what to sadly leave out. After Julie Newmar, the audience is treated to the umbrella and fire…
The First NBC Special: Julie Newmar
After some disappearing and reappearing birds and a little close-up magic with Bill Cosby, Doug gets to the nitty-gritty with this atmospheric box illusion. While shining a light inside and behind, it is revealed that absolutely nothing, I repeat nothing, is inside. Or is there? Ladies and Gentlemen, a totally random and 1970s avante-garde dance routine…
The First NBC Special: Part Two
In watching the special with modern eyes, it’s interesting to note how fresh, energetic, and groundbreaking it all still feels. Rather than doing an opening monologue, Doug dives into one of the things he truly excelled at… close up magic. None of the following scene has any dialogue, and that uniqueness makes it one of my favorite parts of the…
THE DOUG HENNING PROJECT 